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To understand today’s AI-powered world of work, start by looking at the five years that led us here. In April 2020, as the world moved to remote work almost overnight, we launched WorkLab to help leaders understand the seismic shifts redefining business. Since then, we’ve partnered with thought leaders, researchers, and executives across every industry to shed light on the patterns reshaping work—from hybrid work to the Frontier Firms at the jagged edge of AI reinvention.
No one can predict the future—we can only learn as we go and share what we’re learning along the way. Now, we’re bringing those lessons together in a new anthology of our most compelling data and stories: WorkLab: Five Years That Shook The Business World And Sparked An AI-First Future.
We’re thrilled to share that WorkLab will hit shelves on October 21. Be sure to preorder your copy today through Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite local bookstore.
Read on for an excerpt from WorkLab: Five Years that Shook the Business World and Sparked an AI-First Future, by Worklab co-founder Colette Stallbaumer.
The tempestuous ‘20s—the decade that began in 2020, in the darkness of a global pandemic and then the curious light of an AI transition—has challenged our age-old ideal of work. Change is the only constant—shifting norms that once took decades to unfold now materialize in months or weeks. As we look to the next five years, it’s nearly impossible to imagine how much more work will change.
When I think about that future, I think about my two teenagers—bright, independent, and on the cusp of entering the working world. In this time of constant change, I see a world of possibility for them. They, and their peers, have shown us there are nearly endless ways to learn and gain experience. They’re self-taught artists, musicians, influencers, and entrepreneurs. I expect work will look very different for them and that they will have multiple careers over the course of their lifetimes.
So if change is the constant, what stays the same? How do we prepare for an ever-evolving future of work? As I reflect on what we’ve learned over the past five years, here’s my best advice for the next five:
Learning is the job. Satya Nadella wrote in his 2017 book, Hit Refresh, that a growth mindset is the single most important thing you can bring to work. That’s never been more true. The future belongs to those with a hunger and desire to learn that burns bright. Get after it. In a rapidly evolving world, resilience, and adaptability are highly valued skills—hone them. The landscape is changing fast, but your greatest competitive advantage—as a human or a business—is the know-how to put AI to work for you. Stay curious, and raise your hand for the messy, uncharted work. That’s where the greatest opportunities to learn—and the greatest rewards—lie.
Stay human. I get asked all the time, as we look to the next decade, will humans still matter at work? My answer is an emphatic yes. The biggest misconception about work in the age of AI is that human skills won't matter—when in fact it’s a call to amplify what makes us uniquely human. Emotional intelligence; the ability to think critically and exercise judgment; the creative spark that ignites when people collaborate (now with AI along for the ride); the knack to connect the dots and read a room—those qualities have never been more important. I get it, human-AI collaboration is scary and new. But work is ripe for a reset, and I’m already seeing how truly putting AI and agents to work for us creates space for focus, innovation, and creativity— the stuff that makes work more rewarding. You have uniquely human talents AI can't replicate—lean into them.
Practice creative courage. The change and uncertainty of the past five years has been a lot—and it’d be easy to take a glass half empty view of the future. But here’s the thing: there's never been a better time to start a business, run your job like it’s your own startup, or give flight to the billion-dollar idea that bubbles up in the night. AI lowers the barrier of entry to master any skill you want to learn or create the life you want for yourself. A single individual can build a company; teams can produce weeks’ worth of work in a single day; and as a society, we can finally make real progress on huge issues like climate change and finding cures for rare diseases— all thanks to AI. This is not just the age of AI—it’s the age of human ingenuity. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines, so dive in.
Leaders, I urge you to take this moment to help people see the possibilities. Build teams, organizations—and mindsets—that thrive in motion. Rally people around AI to make your team stronger. When everyone uses AI, the rewards—and the impact—go up.
The future of work is being written right now—and you have a pen. Let’s greet the coming era with optimism and purpose.
